Hmong residents, the largest Asian racial ethnic group in Wisconsin, make up just 1% of Wisconsin’s population but have mourned a litany of killings linked to domestic abuse.

Author Archives: Zhen Wang / Wisconsin Watch
Zhen Wang joined Wisconsin Watch as a Fund for Investigative Journalism fellow in January 2023. She has worked as a reporting intern since May 2021. At UW-Madison, she earned a master’s degree in journalism. She previously worked for the Guardian Beijing bureau and China Daily. Before joining the journalism industry, she worked in various sectors and obtained a master’s degree in international relations in New Zealand. She speaks Chinese and is a member of Asian American Journalists Association.
Wisconsin sees promise in ‘housing first’ support of domestic violence survivors
A $7.4 million pilot project in Wisconsin is helping domestic violence survivors in traditionally underserved communities overcome housing and financial barriers that prevent survivors from leaving abusive partners, researchers say.
US blocks alleged Milwaukee Tool supplier, citing forced Chinese prison labor
The federal government will detain imports of work gloves manufactured by Shanghai Select Safety Products Company, which was accused of relying on forced prison labor to manufacture Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves.
Looking back at Wisconsin Watch’s investigations this year
Welcome to Wisconsin Watch’s Year in Review series. In this series, we’re looking back on Wisconsin Watch’s reporting and impact in 2023. Throughout the week, you’ll be hearing directly from reporters and editors and get exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at our biggest investigations of the year, along with some sneak peeks at what we have planned […]
Walmart pulls Milwaukee Tool gloves allegedly made by Chinese prisoners
Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, is no longer selling Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves on its online marketplace — responding to allegations that a subcontractor for the Brookfield, Wisconsin-based tool company relied on forced Chinese prison labor.
Why I investigated Milwaukee Tool work gloves — and what we learned
The tip came into Wisconsin Watch: Milwaukee Tool, an internationally recognized brand, was using forced prison labor in China to produce work gloves.
Chinese prisoners: We were forced to make Milwaukee Tool gloves for cents each day
Chishan prisoners report being forced to produce work gloves for the Brookfield, Wis.-based tool company, which did not answer specific questions.
Why some Wisconsin residents with mental disabilities lose voting rights — and how they can restore them
In Wisconsin and most states, judges may determine someone is ‘incompetent’ to vote. Here’s what people with mental disabilities should know about their rights.
In rural Wisconsin, former employees lift curtain on troubled crypto mine
An energy intensive Bitcoin mining operation in Park Falls can’t replace a once vibrant paper mill, but it has created new conflicts and a cautionary tale.
They escaped the Taliban. Now these women in Wisconsin face a new challenge: the high cost of college.
Ten female students at the UW-Milwaukee thought they had full scholarships. Now the Afghan evacuees are scrambling to pay for school.
Workers, employers struggle as Long COVID sidelines thousands of Wisconsinites
Federal government assistance for paid time off due to COVID-19 has ended, but some employers accommodate ailing workers amid a lingering labor shortage
Wisconsin’s ‘chronic Lyme’ patients embrace alternative treatments, rack up big bills
Sufferers say they go down ‘rabbit holes’ to diagnose a condition that many doctors say does not exist.